Huaren
Piaowu ru Wuzhe Luren, "People of the Dance of the Falling Flower Petals," is a name no one is willing to take the time to say. Instead, dragonborn refer to the green simply as Huaren, "the Flower People." Even within green society, only in courtly speech and official documents is the proper pronoun employed. Green society is based prominently around the li, the concepts of proper relationships and the rituals that demonstrate and ensure them. It is said colloquially that the green have produced more books than the nine other states combined in the history of Longguo. This is not true, but it is close. Huaren pursue culture and dignity above all else, and while the nation produces warriors, they are largely content to be subjects of the Empire of the Crimson Scale while maintaining their distinct (they believe superior) identity, confident that they will mold the greater society after their microcosm with time. This superiority complex has lead to at least one enormous unpleasantry: while the red dragonborn operate under a class system that might be called stark or hard, the green's can only be called cruel. The government of Paiowu ru Wuzhe Lu is convoluted and frightening, and the emphasis on propriety of relationships requires that people show due deference to their superiors, and to make certain their superiors are aware of their deference. Failure to humble oneself can be taken as an unpardonable offense in the wrong circles, and as the Classics of Government under which the country is run do not specify punitive measures, the offended party is often free to devise their own method of justice. The huaren are famous for the city of Liangbai Ershi Er Cheng, "Two-hundred-and-twenty-two Bells," in which resides the reknown Academy of Culture, at which many noble children and scions of royal families are sent to study the Classics of Longguo and obtain education in various aspects of art, poetry, and science, as well as the li and principles of government. It is also famous for its production of excellent courtiers, courtesans, musicians, poets, and artists, and infamous for its rumored training of peerless assassins and thieves, which it categorically denies (and whom it exports to serve various ruling families across Longguo). Due to the insidious two-faced nature the culture of the green has historically cultivated, a strange societal norm has arisen. Rotundity and general unhealthiness has come to be seen as a badge of trustworthiness and honesty, as someone more healthy and able is, presumably, more likely to have the deadly or deft skills required of an assassin or thief--not that such elements exist within the Realm of Flowers to begin with, of course. Bufengzhuoying, the Green Ur-Dragon, probably, almost certainly exists, because his name appears in historical annals and in some Classics, but there are no witness accounts, nor records of witness accounts, within anything resembling recent history. Green dragonborn have an extremely versatile gland for the production of poison, which they area able, to a degree, to control, such that with some forethought they can ready a liquid poison to be spit, which causes an excrutiating burning, and temporary (usually) blindness in the case of eye-contact, a powerful sedative absorbed through the skin, or an insidiously lethal venom which much be introduced to the bloodstream. *The first deals no damage, but must make all rolls at a TN penalty of +10, advantages or abilities that reduce penalties from wound ranks also reduce this penalty; in addition, if a called shot against the head is successful, the target is blinded. Both effects last for a number of rounds equal to the attacker's Water Ring. *The second must be administered either to a weapon or by a bite against an unarmored spot (a called shot of 4 raises against a heavily armored opponent, or 2 against a lightly armored one). If successful, the target suffers the effects of being Dazed for a number of rounds equal to the attacker's Water Ring, and must roll each turn in order to attempt to dispel the effects for that turn, in addition, the roll is a contested roll against the attacker's Water Ring *The third must be administered by a bite to a major vein or artery, the attack roll is made as a called shot (4 raises) against an opponent not wearing heavy armor. The damage dealt is equal to (Water)k2 per turn for a number of turns equal to the attacker's Water Ring + their Insight Ranks. In each case, the dragonborn must actively prepare their body to produce one of the venoms. This process takes an hour, during which they have no usable venom. During the periods when the Dragon Throne was a unified empire, a green emperor was surnamed Chuanqi, meaning "the Romance of" or "the Saga of," suggesting the emperor was less a figure and more an immortal chapter of history. Styles of the Hauren 'Shijiaotong Gungfu' (6 XP) "Ten Sharp Pains" style students are trained to hone an analytical eye, and make their strikes cruel and precise. Even seemingly glancing strikes, through the attacks of the Shijiaotong xiake, are actually deft stabs at the nervous system or tears at the muscles, designed to cause more pain than damage, until the enemy can resist no longer. If the student of Shijiaotong has hit an enemy at least once during a fight, that enemy treats their Wound penalty as though it were one rank greater. This effect persists a number of hours equal to the student's Insight Rank. The inherent cruelty of the style, and the reputed sadism of its founder, have given this school of gungfu a somewhat shadowy reputation. A xiake who studies Shijiaotong Gungfu suffers a penalty to their Honor of -0.5 points. Green dragonborn may take this style for free upon creation. 'Dao de Hundun' (10 XP) *Requirements: Shijiaotong Gungfu, Agility 5, Intelligence 4, Medicine 7 "The Primordial Way" is not, technically, a style of gungfu, but of medicine. While it is not taught as a curriculum in any school, many masters have dabbled in the arts of healing (regardless of whether their intention was to use that knowledge to heal), and a few have arrived at the potent secrets of the Dao de Hundun, understanding how to allow and impede the flow of qi through the body. If a student of this style makes an unarmed Called Shot manuever, they may opt to call an additional raise and spend a Void Point. If they succeed, they may keep only one damage die and take a -5 penalty to damage, but their attack paralyzes the nerves. If the attack was against an arm, that arm may no longer be used. If the attack was against a leg, the victim loses any benefit to their Armor TN gained from Reflexes and may not move as a Free Action or more than 5 feet in a round, unassisted. If the attack was against the head, the victim cannot spend Void Points. This effect lasts a number of minutes equal to the attacker's Insight Rank.